1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy capable of moving multiple objects back and forth about one or more tracks providing a variety of play modes while mechanically driven by a single motor and simple belt sub-system. The invention also relates to methods for playing the variety of action modes of the toy of the present invention.
2. Background of the Invention
There are a few known toys which include rotating discs for moving about a variety of objects. There are two or more discs included in the known toys and each disc rotates in the opposite direction of an adjacent disc so as to propel an object forward from the first disc to the last disc.
There are known toys which include rotating discs of different sizes and pockets defined on each disc for receiving a rolling object, such as a ball or marble. A user can have some control over the travel of a plurality of balls as they move continuously along the pockets defining predetermined paths and transfer from one disc to another where the paths interconnect.
The discs rotate in opposite directions and with enough centrifugal force such that the balls tend to move out of the pockets when a stop gate located between two adjacent discs is opened by the user. Each disc includes gear teeth around the periphery and the discs are rotated by a motor engaging a cog wheel for rotating the first disc of the gear train. Each adjacent disc is then rotated in an opposite direction to propel the plurality of balls forward.
There are also known toys which include turntables coupled together for rotation in opposite directions transferring a vehicle forward along a predetermined path which ends at a stationary track aligned with the predetermined path. The turntable systems is coupled to a cam and follower and driven for rotation by an engaged motor. The motor couples to the first turntable and through a connecting rod the first turntable causes the second turntable to rotate in an opposite direction.
Significantly, known toys which include rotating discs for moving about a variety of objects do not include discs rotating in the same direction or a plurality of discs each driven for rotation through engagement with a motor rather that another disc. Additionally, known toys do not include discs which move multiple objects back and forth about one or more tracks mechanically driven by a single motor and simple belt sub-system. It would be desirable to provide a plurality of adjacent discs rotating simultaneously in the same direction and defining one or more tracks for playing a variety of action modes.